February 5, 2014
A senior journalism student was accepted into a diversity fellowship program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this year.
Hector Mejia, a journalism major with a broadcast concentration and a minor in Spanish language-journalism, will be traveling to Raleigh, N.C., to work at WRAL for a week this March.
The program, run by Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc., UNC and WRAL, includes a $1,000 stipend and a five-day hands-on workshop at the TV station.
“I’m excited to finally put everything I learned in the classroom into practice and with a real professional team,” Meija said.
Meija said the clip reel he submitted with his application came entirely from classes he took in the CSUN Journalism Department.
“This is the first fellowship I have received,” Meija said. “I had not been accepted into any programs I had applied for so for a moment I was discouraged.”
Meija encouraged other students to continue seeking opportunities even if they feel as though they might not get them.
“Keep applying whether you feel like you’re going to get it or not, just go ahead and do it,” Meija said. “Persistence is key.
“I look forward to being treated as a real reporter, at least for that week, and being able to create a package with a real news crew,” he added.
Meija said he discovered the program through a post on the CSUN Journalism Department’s Facebook page in November.
New job listings and opportunities for fellowships and scholarships are posted on the Facebook page on a regular basis.